Spring-wheel.



a. H. WILLIAMS.

SPRING- WHEEL. APP-LIUATION FILED MAR.25,'1908,

Patented June 14,1910.

UNITED srarrzs PATENT orrroni.

GEORGE H. VTILLIAMS, DE .LOS .AAN'GFELES CALIFORNIA.

SPRING-'WHEEL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful SpringWVheel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to spring wheels,

particularly for use with automobiles where great strength and durability are required together with a high degree of elasticity.

One object of the invention is to provide a spring wheel with means for attaching the springs in such manner that they will automatically adjust themselves, so as. to prevent binding or twisting of the parts, and to equalize the strain on all the members.

Another object of the invention is to provide a unit construction whereby spring members may be applied as units in the wheel and. may be removed and replaced at will.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the wheel. Fig. 2 is a cross section of a spring portion thereof. 3 is a section on line a2 -m in Fig. 2. Fig; 4; is a plan of a portion of the band for holding the spring members, showing in section the clamping devices for securing said members. Fig. 5 is a perspective of one of said clamping devices.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only and, therefore, are not drawn to any particular scale; 3 and 4 indicate the two rims of a wheel between which are placed a plurality of my improved flexible or yielding elements or units 5. The outer rim--iis preferably provided with a suitable tire 6 as of rubber or any yielding material and the inner rimis provided with the usual hub 1 and spokes 2.

rSpring units or devices 5 are preferably formed with a bow or U-shaped portion and a straight connecting portion between the arms of the bow portion. The bow is formed from a plurality of fiat springs 7 and 8 placed within each other, two such I s rings being shown in the drawing. lamps 12 are provided for fastening the spring devices to the runs 3 and 4-, said Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 25, 1.908.

Patented June 14., 1910.

Serial No. 423,267.

16 into which the projecting portions 15 of the clamps project when the clamps are in position. The clamps are also prov led with inwardly extending portions 13 be.- tween which and the projections 15 recesses are formed for the reception of the edges of said strips of material. The units are held against longitudinal movement upon said flanges 17 and 18 preferably by notching or shouldering the edges of the strips of metal. shown at 20 to form a circular series of shoulders, and also recessing oi'shouldering the clamps at the bottom of each recess be tween the projections 13 and 15 as shown at 21.

The clamps are held in position upon the ends of the bows or springs 7 and 8 by means of a bolt 11 that is passed through suitable perforations 11 in the clamps and also through a bushing sleeve 10 that engages with its ends against the inner faces of the clamps, a nut 27 on the end of the bolt holding the parts in their rigid or fixed position. The springs 7 and 8 are secured to or connected with the clamps 12 in any suitable manner, preferably, by forming sleeves 7 and 8 respectively which tit over the sleeves 10 and over each other, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The sleeve 10 is preferably made a trifle longer than the width of the sleeves 7 and 8 so that said sleeves 7 and 8 will be free to rock-or turn upon the sleeve 10 at any time. The inner face of the inner projection 13 is preferably slightly recessed, shown at 14, to prevent said projections from engaging with the outer sleeve 8. I

The springs 241 which form the main portion of the straight portion of the spring units are flexibly connected at. their ends with the clamps 12 as by means of a flat faced pivot bar 22 having its ends formed into pivots 23 which are adapted to roel; :treely in pertorations ii-l ol' the clamps 12. Each spring it is held against its respective bar by means ot a lmlt 251 and nut 2U, so as to act expansivelyas well as eompressibly in the ()Ptlttlltit'l ot the invention. Each spring ll thereby rigidly connected with the bar 2; at each end thereof so that. the spring and the end bars 22 act as a single elastic mene her rocking or tiltingon the rims in such manner that any lautkling or lateral distortion oi the spring is avoided and the liahility to deterioration or breakage thereol' reduced to a minimum. The springs 7, 8 and 2-4: with their connecting devices 2, 12, 11, etc. term a unitary self-contained means removable from and replaceable on the wheel as a whole and plied to the wheel as a unitary spring device.

The means for supporting the bow spring means and the straight spring means with pivotal relation to the rims comprises, in the present embodiment. the clamp devices 12 and the pivots 1.1 and 23 for the said sprlng means. Said clamp devices coir setitnte lugs nimmted on the rims.

In using my invention any suitable munber of units are arranged around the wheel, as shown in Fig. 1. bet ween the inner and outer rims with the clamps 12 of each unit in radial alinement'. The strength of the units is such that normally the springs will be able to hold said rims substsnitially in their normal position, but in case of an inerease of load or in case oi. the wheel passing over an obstruction, the outer rim being rigid will he moved bodily upward relatively to the hub and inner rim, as indicated in dotted lines in 1. This ii' rward movement will cause the lower springs to be compre. :ed and the upper ones to be expanded, while the intermediate ones, or those at what might be called the sides of the wheel, will be distorted or bent in ditl'erent directions with the clamps at the ends of each unit being moved to a greater or less degree out of their normal radial alinement, those substantially even with the hub ot the wheel having the outer clamps carried upward relatively to the inner clamps, as indicated in dotted lines in said Fig. 1. This movement of the clamps relatively to each other will cause the ends of the springs 2 to be moved relatively to each other or to stand at a greater or less angle with said clamps owing to the amount oi? movement of said clamps relatively to each other. This relative movement of the clamps and the springs 24 is readily permitted by the pivots 23 on the bars rocking slightly within the perforations 23 in the clamp 12. By constrncting a wheel in this manner it is evident that in addition to partially sustaining the inwaru and outer compression, caused by the acting when so ap movement of the outer rim relatively to the inner rim, the bows of the spring units or the tlat springs 7 and 8 will as, st very materially in holding the outer rim in the plane of the wheel, or of the inner portion, when the machine to which the wheels have been ap plied is turninga corner, and the lateral pressure of the vehicle has a tendency to make the wheelsfskid or slide upon the ground. The springs will also ist in this movement, but not to such a great ex tent, but which is increased by placing them in alinemei'it with each other transversely of the plane of the wheel.

it at any time any of the. units become; detective or it is desired to remove it for any reason. the nuts on the two bolts ll. are quickly removed when the unit may he slipped out from between the two rims, and especially as toe parts comprising the same can he readily separated for such pnr mse, it necessary. A new element can then be substituted tor the detective one and the. wheel be omes as etl'ective as before, or it it be nec essary the units around the wheel may be placed closer together and an additional unit can be inserted for increasing the strength or rigidity of the wheel.

As the shoulders 20 extend continuously around the rim. the correspondingly shoul dered clamping means 2i can be set to any position thereon, tlna'eby enabling adjustment ot the spring devices around the rim.

When the outer rim moves with rotative relation to the inner rim, the pivot bars M swing on their pivots t l, so that the flat faces of the bars are parallel with each other, and the bolts 27 of the opposing parts of rocking bars remain in alinement with each other, and thus do not cause any lateral deflection or buckling of the straight springs 2t which would be apt to occur it the oars 22 were not; permitted to turn into parallel relation with each other upon the relative rotating movement oi? the inner and outer rims.

i. In a spring wheel, two concentric rims at a distance apart, a plurality of spring devices tl'1erehetween, each spring device com prising av bow spring, rocking seats, a straight compressible spring mounted be tween the ends of the bow spring and seated with its ends on the rocking seats, and means on the rims pivotally supporting the rocking seats and the ends of the bow springs.

2. in a spring wheel. two concentric rims at. a distance apart, a plurality of spring devices therebetween, each spring device comprising a bow spring, rocking seats, a straight spring portion mounted with its ends seated on the respective rocking seats,

described my inventiorn l senses and means upon the rims having pivotal connection with the rocking seats and the ends 01 the bow springs.

3. in a spring wheel, two concentric rims at a distance apart, and a plurality of spring devices therebetween, each spring device comprising a bow portion and a straight portion between the arms of the bow portion, said bow portion having a sleeve at each end, a bushing sleeve within the sleeve of the bow portion, clamping means engaging each.

rim and afastening bolt pass 11}; through said bushing sleeve for securing the bow portion to the clamping means and the clamping means to the rim, 0

at. in a spring wheel, two concentric rims at a distance apart, a plurality of spring devices therebetween, each spring device com prising a U-shaped portion and a straight portion between the arms of the U-shaped portion, and a set of clamping members for each spring device pivotally secured to the ends of the Ushaped portion, said clamping members adapted to clamp onto said rims, the straight portion of the spring device comprising coil springs between said clamping members, and bars secured to the ends of the coil springs, said bars being each pivoted in one of the said sets of clamping meml hers.

yielding compression means between said.

bars.

(5. In a spring wheel, two concentric rims at a distance apart, a plurality of spring devices connected therebetween, each spring device con'iprisinq a U-shaped portion, and a yielding straight portion extending between the ends of the U-shaped portion, clamping members clamping onto the said rims and pivot-ally supporting the U-shaped portion, said yielding straight member comprising compression means extending between the clamping members and normally extending radially to the axis of the wheel, said (011% pression means being pivotally connected with the clan'lping members, whereby said Lclamping members and compression means may be moved out of such alinement.

7. In a spring wheel, tw'o concentric rims at a distance apart each provided with a flange having its edges formed with a series of shoulders, and a plurality of spring devices between sa id rims, each spring device l'ornn-d of a U-shaped portion, and a yieldiupstraight portion beuvecn the arms of said U-shaped portion, a set of clamping membcrs for *ach spring, device. the spring devices being pivoted to said clamping members, said clamping members clumpii'ig onto said rims and being; recessed, and the bottom of each recess being shouldered to engage the shoulders of the aforesaid flanges.

H. In a springwheel, two concentric rims.

at a distance apart, each provided on each edge with a series of shoulders, a plurality ol spring devices between said rims, and clamping means for each spring device to secure the sprimg device in position on the rims, each clamping means provided with portions shouldered to engage the series of shoulders on the rims whercbythe clamping means may be adjusted upon the rims.

i). in a spring wheel, two concentric rims at a distance apart, a plurality of bow springs therebetween, an elastic straight member extending between the ends of each bow spring, means for supporting the bow spring and elastic straight member on the rims comprising a supporting pivot t'or each end of the bow springand a pivoted supporting means for each end of the elastic straight member, the pivots for said straight portion being substantially on a line with and between the pivots for the bow springs.

10. In a spring wheel, two concentric rims at a distance apart, a plurality of bow springs therebetween, an elastic straight member extending between the ends of each bow and comprising a longitudinally compressible spring and a rocking bar in engagement with each end thereof, and means pivotally supporting the rocking bars and bow springs on the rims, comprising a supporting; pivot for each end of the bow springs and a pivotal support for each rocking bar, whereby the pivots of said bow spring and the axis of the straight portion may be thrown out of aliuemcnt.

1]. ln :1 spring wheel. two concentric rims at a distance ana; how springs arranged between said rims. rocking liars between the prising a bow spring portion. straight co1nl pressible spring portions between the respective rims at the ends of the bow springs. and means for piwitally connecting the ends of the bow spring portions with the respective 

